


All That and More

by msflanclan



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Best Friends, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Reunions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23929009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msflanclan/pseuds/msflanclan
Summary: "So, he was returning home. Just because his home happened to be a half-Arab half-Polish man who was overtly obsessed with film and television, frankly, it didn’t bother him anymore."A "Troy and Abed Reunited" fic because these two deserve to reunite, even if it's just in my brain.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 14
Kudos: 116





	1. The Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> I've become obsessed with this show and specifically these two boys! So, I thought I'd share this to help anyone out who has the same feelings as me. Right now it's just platonic but I may write more!
> 
> Also title is inspired by "All That and More (Sailboat)" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise. I recommend you listen to the song while reading.

* * *

It’s been two and a half years. It would’ve taken three, maybe four, but Troy didn’t deem it necessary to stop at some of the more trivial places of the world; most of Russia, North Korea… Levar didn’t disagree. And Antarctica was too cold, anyway. Large ocean waves bring forth salty breezes. Also, some of the droplets fall into Troy's mouth as he lets out a large breath. He leans over the deck of the Childish Tycoon, taking in the slightly urban oceanscape, as the ship is drifting away from the waves of Mexico and is heading towards the great U.S. of A., and has been for a few months. The blueness of the open sea has been replaced with speckles of buildings and docking stations. As he breathes out, the heaviness of the situation seeped it. He hoped the deep breath would rid his mind of any negative thoughts or anxieties, but alas, his brain is consumed with anxiety of his arrival back. 

You don’t leave for a voyage around the earth without changing. He had met hundreds and truly connected with dozens. Some stayed aboard with him and Levar, before being dropped off a few shores away. He learned about himself and others, about the humanity that is deeply rooted within each person, no matter who they are or where they’re from. To say he was a new man was an understatement. Also, he’d grown a bit of a beard. It was scratchy, but it made him feel more manly. 

And now he is about to arrive back. Back home. Well, Los Angeles isn’t technically his actual home, but that’s where his home is. Years onboard a ship will definitely allow one to do a bit of soul searching; a lot of experimentation, and for Troy, a lot of realizations. He’d made so many connections throughout his journey, but each new escapade only left an Abed-shaped hole in his heart that canceled out whomever he would spend a night with. So, he was returning home. Just because his home happened to be a half-Arab half-Polish man who was overtly obsessed with film and television, frankly, it didn’t bother him anymore. 

Troy texted him last week. Abed knows he’s coming. Troy’s stopping off the shore, then taking a car to Abed’s new apartment. The Childish Tycoon is docking and Troy’ll stay at L.A. while he and Levar figure out the logistics and legalities behind acquiring Pierce’s empire. Will Abed recognize him? Has he changed too much? Has Abed changed too much? Who would’ve thought a journey around the world would bring more questions rather than answers? The boat shifts as more salt water sprays onto Troy’s face. He sees shore and his heart skips a beat. They’re here. 

“Alright, Troy, we’re docking this thing,” Levar announces from behind him, “and then we’re done. We’ve made it.” 

Troy spins around. “It’s truly been an honor,” Troy smiles. The two shake hands.

“As to you, too. Where are you heading here in L.A., anyway?” 

“I’m headed to Abed’s new apartment. The old study group from Greendale planned a party, and everyone’s coming in and everything. It’s totally awesome”

“You’re well-loved, my friend. That group of yours is something special.” 

The boat jolts as it hits the dock. A group of workers begin fastening a large rope to anchor it. 

“Speaking of friends, isn’t that one of yours there?” 

Levar holds his hand up to the sun, casting a shadow to protect his eyes. Troy’s head cocks in confusion as he whirls on the balls of his feet. He sees a figure in the distance. The figure is tall and lanky, and stands stoic as the setting sun casts his slender shadow on the wooden dock. Troy slowly lifts his hand, and the man returns the gesture. Troy turns back to Levar.

“Hey, um, I’m gonna-” Troy jabs a thumb in the shadow’s direction.

“Of course. We’ll catch up in a second.”

Troy practically jumps off the boat, skipping two prongs of the small, metal ladder on the side of the boat as his feet hit the deck. The sun is still in his eyes, but he can’t feel the rays on his face. He can’t feel anything, for that matter. Mostly just the thumping of his heart and the wind in his ears as he half runs half walks to his best friend. He half expects Abed to run, too, but he just sort of stands there, still. As Troy comes closer, he sees that Abed’s eyes are glassy and his expression is hard to read. Yet Troy knows this fact and the small tug at the corner of Abed’s mouth is enough for Troy to understand. As Troy nears, though, Abed's arms extend, and Troy practically falls into them. Troy can feel Abed loosely grip the back of his shirt. Troy squeezes him tighter before releasing. 

“Hi,” Abed says, a whisper.

“Hi,” Troy reciprocates. It’s all he can muster. 

Troy’s face breaks out in a grin, and Abed scans Troy’s face, his eyes darting up and down Troy’s body. 

“You’ve grown a beard,” Abed says. 

Troy beams. “Aw, man, I’ve missed you.” 

He pulls Abed in for another hug. Troy needs this, and he thinks Abed does too, no matter how awkward it feels at the moment. 

“I’ve missed you too,” Abed says quietly into Troy’s shirt, his voice muffled by the hug. 

When the two release for the second time, they share their handshake. When Troy beats his palm against his chest, he can feel it in his heart. 

  
  
  



	2. The Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Troy and Abed catch up . Troy doesn't know it, but a surprise is awaiting him at Abed's apartment.

Before he knows it, Troy is in the back of an Uber and he and Abed are giggling incessantly about the time in Morocco when Troy fell off a camel. 

“And then this vest thing I was wearing blew up, like...well, like an airbag,” Troy gasps in between giggles. 

“I saw that on Travel Man,” Abed adds. “Good thing you wore one, or else you definitely would’ve broken some bones.” 

Troy wipes away a tear. “Yeah. That would  _ not _ have been fun.” 

Silence fills the small Toyota as the two catch eyes. Abed offers the slightest closed-lip smile, the evening sun casting a warm glow onto his face. Troy’s stomach flips. 

“Thanks for letting me visit you, Abed. I love my nana, but I had a hunch that you were the first face I’d wanna see after coming back to the U.S.,” Troy says. Abed looks down at his hands before looking back up at Troy. 

“Was your hunch right?” he asks. Troy nods. 

“Uh,  _ duh doi.  _ All the camels in Morocco got nothing on you.” 

“I think that the importance of camels for the transport of goods in the Middle East may have me beat,” Abed says, and Troy rolls his eyes, “but thanks.” 

“We’re here,” the driver announces, leaning an arm across the passenger seat. 

The boys exit the car, thank the driver, and head up Abed’s apartment complex. The elevator ride is filled with yet more stories, about that one lady Troy met in London, and the film Abed made last semester. It fills Troy with a bursting sense of adoration for his friend, and their connection, and the ease with which they have been able to reconnect. There had been many sleepless nights where he imagined the opposite of this happening, their reunion being stilted and forced. But it isn’t turning out like that, and Troy is grateful. 

Walking down a small, bland hallway, the duo arrive at Abed’s apartment door. Abed jingles his keys, picking out one shaped like in Inspector's X-7 Dimensionizer. 

“Just to warn you, Troy, this is no  _ La Casa de Trobed,  _ but it is my home. It’s like my nest," Abed states plainly.

Troy shrugs. “Yeah, it could be considered a nest, I guess.”

Abed continues: “And therefore I could be considered an eagle." His voice progressively gets louder. “It’s like the  _ eagle _ is in the  _ nest!”  _

Troy purses his lips and nods, yet the furrow in his brows shows his confusion. “Yeah, that’s… cool. But why are you shouting-”

Before he can finish, the door swings open and five familiar faces scream in his and Abed’s direction. Troy is frightened, at first, but soon realizes what’s happening. What he really gets frightened by is the small pops of the confetti blasters a second later. He turns to Abed. 

"That was the code to signify we're here," Abed explains.

“I thought they weren’t coming ‘til tomorrow?” Troy exclaims.

“Yeah, we thought it might be cool to surprise you."

“It was all Abed’s idea,” Annie chimes in.

“Well, what’re you two standing there for? Bring it in!” Jeff declares. Troy enters the apartment, being encapsulated in a tight and immovable hug. When they release (or when Troy escapes, however you want to see it), Troy notices he’s crying.

“Oh, sweetie,” Shirley coos. 

Jeff claps Troy’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you, buddy.”

“Thanks, for real. You guys are great,” Troy replies. He lets his tears fall, because he doesn’t care if he cries anymore. Everyone beams at him in return. Britta interrupts.

“Did you see the protests in Paris? It was all over Twitter!” she exclaims. Everyone groans in unison. 

“I guess the emotional reunion trope can’t last too long before it feels jaded,” Abed says, handing Troy a cup of special drink. “Story time?” He looks around the room, “Story time? Story time?”

Everyone nods. Shirley throws in a ‘ _ Oooh, yes’ _ while Jeff adds his own ‘ _ Sounds about right’  _ and Troy catches eyes with Abed again, who is now across the room handing out more cups filled with mystery alcohol and sugary soda. 

_ “Thank you,”  _ Troy mouths. Abed nods his head, almost dignified, and then smiles softly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some sweet reunion stuff. Craig is the fifth person, by the way, I didn't specify that.


	3. The Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a late night at the Nadir household and the boys are tipsy. Remember those realizations Troy had on the boat? Some of those come into fruition now.

It’s very late at night. Or rather, very early in the morning. After a few bottles of vodka, and Jeff thinking that performing a strip tease for Shirley was a _good_ idea, everyone decided that it was time to call it a night. Shirley was about to physically assault Jeff, and Abed said he didn’t want the fight scene from _Oldboy_ to go down in his living room, granted, _Oldboy_ did have one of the best fight scenes in cinematic history. Troy is pretty sure this is the first time in awhile most of them have stayed up partying this late. 

His return is special and calls for a party, obviously, but everyone has grown up since he’s left; they don’t go out as much anymore. Annie got a job in D.C. after interning for a year, Jeff is a professor at Greendale, Britta is a working therapist at a non for profit (Troy still thinks that Britta was lying about that because _Britta?_ A _therapist?_ But he wasn’t going to call her out or anything). And here he was, at 4:25 in the morning, sitting with Abed on the couch of his L.A. apartment as he works his way through film school. Even Abed has continued on with his life...without Troy. Troy knows he’s changed and has accomplished a lot in the past two and a half years, but he feels almost cheated; all his friends have grown and evolved and he hasn’t been there to witness it. These thoughts plague his mind and he can’t help it. The late night anxieties may be caused by the large amount of alcohol in his system, yet he can’t help but feel sentimental. Also, Troy is a sad drunk. 

He and Abed are watching _Cats_ whilst eating dry cereal, because, well, why not, fuck you for thinking otherwise. Troy turns to Abed as Abed shovels Lucky Charms into his mouth. The soft glow from the T.V. casts a cool light onto his face, and Troy can’t help but stare; Abed is gazing intently at the screen, his brows furrowed in confusion. _Cats_ is a confusing movie sober, so Troy doesn’t blame him. His jaw casts a dark shadow onto his neck, and his hair is tousled in ways Troy has only ever seen in the early mornings when they used to live together. In this moment, with his blood infused with liquor and his brain fuzzy, Troy thinks that Abed is beautiful. 

“You’re staring at me,” Abed says, face still locked on the television. He doesn’t slur, but his voice is deep and warm with alcohol. Troy is taken aback.

“Yeah. I mean, _pshh_. ..whaaat?” Troy stutters, dropping rainbow marshmallows onto his shirt. Abed turns to him. It seems as if he’s studying Troy, staring intently at him like he had been at the television moments before. “How’dya know?” 

“I just know,” Abed states. He cocks his head, “Are you alright? It might’ve been overwhelming seeing everyone so soon, having them come tonight instead of tomorrow. I‘m sorry if it was too much. I just thought it could be fun, and-”

Troy interrupts: “No, Abed, no. It's been perfect. Wha...why’dya think I wouldn’t love this? It was great.”

Troy suddenly bursts into laughter, leaning back on the couch and reaching his arms towards the ceiling, “S ooo great, the best day ever.” 

Abed joins suit, giggling whilst looking at Troy’s exaggerated movements, his nose scrunching slightly. Troy lets his hands drop to his sides, turning to Abed again. Their eyes lock and their laughter ceases. Out of spontaneity (and possibly drunk inhibition), Troy grabs Abed’s hand. It's a bit awkward; Troy's movements are sloppy and their fingers fumble for a few seconds before their hands settle in Abed's lap. Abed doesn’t look down, he just keeps looking at Troy. Whether it be shock or fear or general drunken stupor, neither of them move or breath for a few moments. Troy speaks up.

“Abed. Listen. Thank you. You are the greatest.” Troy inhales a shaky breath, “Ya know, when I was’n London, I went to the Inspector Spacetime museum...the fifth Inspector’s fedora was there...”

“Cool,” Abed adds. 

“Oh my god, so cool. But, shit, my point is..the whole time I was there, I thought, ‘I wish Abed was here.’ I dunno,” Troy looks down at their interlocked hands, “I jus’ wanted to say that. Fuck.” He shakes his head slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Abed asks. He's trying to read Troy's expression, but the emotions Troy is experiencing right now are far more complex than any blockbuster RomCom Abed could name. Troy shrugs.

“Dunno…’s anything wrong?” He looks to Abed, who glances down at their interlocked hands for the first time.

“No. It’s great." Abed murmurs. Troy smiles in response. "The best day ever.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who have read this. It's my way to be creative during quarantine. Next chapter will be cute so stay tuned.


	4. The Result

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess confessing one's love over Eggo waffles is fitting for this duo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be the last chapter but thanks to all who've enjoyed it. I hope this fulfills all your sweet gushy lovey desires for these boys <3

Troy wakes up the next morning with a pounding headache and a new feeling in his gut. The headache can easily be cured by popping two Ibuprofen, but he can’t shake the feeling in his gut. And, walking into the kitchen and seeing Abed pop four freshly toasted Eggo waffles onto a plate, the feeling only intensifies. 

“These things are like crack,” Troy comments, sitting at the table and grabbing a waffle. 

“Be careful, they’re-” Abed starts. 

“Ow, _shit_!” Troy drops the waffle, shaking his hand before putting his burnt finger into his mouth.

“-hot. Sorry.” 

“Not your fault. I got a little too excited for waffles.” Troy frowns at this throbbing finger. 

“They’re hard to resist. I’ll get some ice.” Abed quickly goes to the bottom shelf for a plastic baggy. He fills it with ice and hands it to Troy. 

“Thanks, man,” Troy replies, taking the already-dripping bag from Abed. How’d the ice melt that fast?

Abed hops up onto his kitchen table, nibbling on a plain waffle. His legs swing as Troy sets the bag of ice onto the table. They sit in silence, the stagnant air between them filled with the sweet smell of Eggo. In an attempt to fill the silence, the two start talking at the same time.

“So, yesterday was crazy, huh?”

“I’m in love with you.” 

“Huh?” Troy blurts out. He jolts his head to the side in an attempt to meet Abed’s gaze. Abed stops swinging his legs, a somewhat crazed look in his eyes. He doesn’t turn to Troy.

“What’d you say?” Troy asks, breathless. 

“You first,” Abed states, his voice shaking slightly. He looks away, his eyes darting around the room. Troy’s heart is beating and he’s entirely forgotten about the pain in his finger. 

“Is it because I held your hand yesterday?” Troy asks softly. He looks to Abed for something, anything, but he can’t read him. If only Abed weren’t so good at hiding his emotions, and if only Troy was in a place where he could pick out Abed’s nuanced reactions so he could read those emotions. But right now he’s too busy processing what Abed said.

“It’s because of a lot of things.”

Abed picks at a loose thread on his pyjama shirt. Troy sucks in air through his nose. If this would have been two years ago, Troy would have reacted very differently. But Troy is also a very different man than he was two years ago. So, breathing out, he replies:

“Me too.” Abed finally turns to him. Troy continues: “At least I think. Do you mean like Luke and Leia or Han and Leia?” 

Abed ponders this for a moment before replying. “I don’t think I can exactly relate this to a movie. Or series of movies, rather.” 

“Wow, you really have changed since I left, haven’t you?” 

Abed returns his focus to his unraveling sleeve. “I mean, if I were to state it plainly, it’d be similar Han’s and Leia’s relationship. But it’s a lot more than that. You’re no Leia-”

“I’d be Han-” Troy interjects, “-sorry...Continue.”

“-but you are so much more than that. And what you are to me is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Comparing emotions to movies has been something that’s helped me compartmentalize people and emotions into little boxes in an attempt to understand them. But I’ve realized we’re different than that. We don’t look like the characters on any recent Blockbusters, for one, but I also feel like I am beginning to understand how important you are to me. And I’m in love with you.”

Troy sits idly in the chair, looking up at Abed still sitting on the table. 

“Abed, I-”

“And I know we’ve just reunited and we’ve had a very audience friendly best friend kind of thing going on, but I’ve already lost you once and I needed to tell you this before I lost you again.”

Troy stands up suddenly, the chair screeching against the floor. He steps to be in front of Abed and in his view. Abed hesitantly glances up. Troy is trying to be romantic but it’s a little awkward because Troy has to stand on his tippy-toes to get in Abed’s line of sight, but it's okay because Abed loves him, is _in_ love with him, and that’s all that matters. And as Troy presses his lips to Abed, everything is right in the world. And he’s kissing his best friend, which is pretty fucking cool. 

It’s brief, but when they release, Troy’s lips tingle and the feeling that was once in his gut reverberates throughout his whole body.

“I’m also in love with you. Have been for a while” Troy says, “And you’re not gonna lose me. I promise.” 

He grabs Abed’s hand and interlocks their fingers. Abed's eyes trail down to their hands and he smiles. 

“Cool," Abed replies. "Cool cool cool."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmk if the characterization is off!! i'd love to improve


End file.
